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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338428">Have A Little Faith</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangefable/pseuds/strangefable'>strangefable</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Firefly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:19:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>567</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29338428</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/strangefable/pseuds/strangefable</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Things get a little... unconventional. Or too conventional, depending how you look at it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Have A Little Faith</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The crew each had their little quirks that everyone else had grown to tolerate. Wash playing with his action figures, Book’s religiosity and his close-vested secrets, River being a little off, Inara’s interest in hygiene, Kaylee’s unstoppable cheerfulness, Jayne’s... well, <i>Jayne</i>, and so on down the list. As a general rule, you had to learn to live with the eccentricities of others when you spent months stuck on a boat deep in space together. It was the strange, little things that got a body through it in one piece. A body had to to do whatever it took to get through space, through Reaver territory, or through the grayer areas of society, or at least of one’s moral conscience.</p>
<p>Granted, Mal’s conscience didn’t get much of a workout these days; he’d been in the business too long and liked things like eating, or breathing, just a little more than always being on the up and up. However, even he had little things to help him cope. His U-Day brawl was an annual observance, as well as taking any opportunity to make life harder for any feds to cross his path on a bad day. Or a good day. It certainly put a smile on his face, but that wasn’t necessarily what got him through it. Serenity flying and her crew at least relatively close to being in one piece were always Mal’s real answer to that question, if not out loud.</p>
<p>Today, however, he was seriously considering finding a new answer. They were all making it mighty difficult for a man to want to protect them when they kept gorram giggling. This job had seemed easy enough at the time, but he was having second thoughts just now. The expression of disapproval sure to be on Book’s face sure as hell wasn’t likely to help. Mal did his level best to stare straight ahead and, with every shred of dignity he possessed, ignore the sudden arrival of the shepherd.</p>
<p>Inara tugged at the fabric near Mal’s shoulder, then brushed off a remnant bit of dust with a quick sweep of her hand. She looked up to meet his eyes before taking a step back. After a moment, she frowned. “Well, I suppose you’ll have to do. Zoe?” Inara turned away from Mal to help his first mate, and his lingering gaze caused him to accidentally meet Shepherd Book’s eyes.</p>
<p>To Mal’s surprise, it was not exactly disapproval he found there. If anything, it looked more like amusement. Actually, it wasn’t that surprising; the shepherd always seemed an anomaly in more ways than one. Book cleared his throat and dropped his eyes first. “It’s interesting,” he began, “I never--”</p>
<p>“Shepherd, keep your mouth shut. Wearin’ this get-up won’t give me any pause about shootin’ you,” Mal cut off the older man in a rush. His hand reached reflexively toward his hip and his glare was one usually reserved for Alliance officials.</p>
<p>Book let out a low laugh and shook his head. “That’d be quite a feat, Captain.” His gaze dropped pointedly to Mal’s hip.</p>
<p>Mal’s fingers touched nothing but air and he cursed under his breath. “It’s just for the job. Don’t be gettin’ any ideas, preacher.” He turned quickly on his heel, making a hasty retreat.</p>
<p>It was not hasty enough for the gathered crew to ever forget the sight of Malcolm Reynolds in a shepherd’s habit.</p>
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